Its been a little over 4 months since I returned from Newcastle and there hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about my experience. Through this experience I made so many lifelong friends and had my eyes opened to how vast the world truly is. I lived about 2 blocks away from the beach and a 15 minute walk from the town center and train station (on which you can pay $5 and get to Sydney in 2 hours). I lived in an 11 person share house with not only Australians, but people from all over Europe. And with the 4 other houses that had the same amount of people next door, it was like our own little international community. I learned so many things about so many different countries and cultures. I also learned that I love to travel as we camped up and down the east coast of Australia as well as drove an RV around the south island of New Zealand. I also got to fulfill my lifelong goal of surfing every day and becoming a good surfer. I just wanted to write this review to say that if you are thinking about going to Newcastle, GO! People will tell you that its scary to travel away from home for such a long time and that might be true, but after leaving Newcastle I was wishing that I'd chosen to stay a year. ISA is a great program that helped me every step of the way and gave me opportunities to meet so many fun people. At the beginning of the program they'll have you meet up in Cairns and you'll get an amazing opportunity to socialize and make friends with people who are also going to your university. I know its a big decision to commit to a program like this one, but I promise you it will teach you so many new things about yourself and completely change your perspective on the world.

My time in Newcastle and the study/internship combo experience I had through GlobaLinks are truly things I will never forget. Newcastle is a great little city filled with friendly people. It was easy (transportation via buses and trains) and fun to explore. I had the chance to intern with the Special Olympics of Australia, which meant taking the train (about a 10 minute ride) into the heart of Newcastle twice a week. Between the commute and workload, it was my first look at post-grad life! Newcastle is also only a 2-hour train ride from Sydney and this made weekend trips accessible. I'm personally more of a smaller city girl so the proximity was nice and yet far enough to feel more like home. From experiencing classwork outside of America to hanging out with locals, it exceeded all my expectations. I was a bit apprehensive to leave my comfort zone at first, but immersing myself in a new culture was the best decision I've ever made.

My experience with GlobaLinks Learning Abroad was phenomenal. Every step of the way was extremely easy through them. I had a lot of doubts about going abroad as does anyone and they helped me through every step of the process. Whenever I had a question about anything there was always someone on the other end there to answer it for me. Their online checklist made going abroad an enjoyable experience because I did not have to stress about what had to get done it was right there in front of me. Also, the bridging culture program they have to help you get adjusted to the Australian culture was amazing. I met some really great friends there and learned the ins and outs of life as an Aussie!

It's usually around one's birthday or the holidays when they decide to inform their loved ones that they're going to study abroad. We're asked what we want for our birthday, and we respond--almost automatically-- MONEY! "I'm studying abroad!" Now everyone is in an ecstatic state of excitement, firing off one hundred and one questions: where are you going?; how long?; are you going with anyone?; where else are you visiting?; how excited are you? Needless to say, this initial moment and the moment you return to share all your stories are the two times people will be the most interested. But the thing about studying abroad is, when it comes time to share your experiences, it's almost frustrating because you simply cannot find words powerful enough to describe how much fun you really had, and the pictures all of a sudden don't showcase how beautiful the beach was. But that doesn't matter. When you study abroad, you have the experiences, you preserve the memories, you make the friends, and you will treasure that morsel of absolute satisfaction for the rest of your life.

I boarded my plane February 11, 2012, and while saying goodbye to family and friends was the hardest thing I've had to do, knowing what the next four months would bring, it was invigorating! Some people will study abroad and have fun, enjoy a new culture and take pictures but others like myself will come back a changed person. I stepped out of my small, farm town comfort zone and met the most incredible friends of a lifetime and exposed myself to a completely new culture and environment; and for those opportunities I am forever grateful. Living abroad in a beautiful country alongside people who are nothing but fun, thoughtful, loving, and encouraging, brought out a new confidence I didn't even know I had. Not to sound cheesy but I really did find a new Aussie Ashley deep inside. Australia certainly was a whole new book to my life, but I'd rather think of it as a spruced up second edition, but this copy won't be on shelves for a limited time only!

The most memorable of my experiences wasn't the opportunity to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, or the chance to snuggle a koala bear--although they were both amazing chances-- but it was the chance to live, day in and day out, with a group of Australians. We were housed in the dormitory together and were each others' neighbors. They showed me how a normal Australian my age lives. I made friends with my corridor mates who took me to the beach on a Tuesday afternoon, took me shopping on Saturday, made me Vegemite on crackers, introduced me to the Tim Tam Slam and most importantly, they were genuinely interested in my lifestyle and culture! These moments with my new mates are the intimate, treasured times I reminisce on a daily basis.

And these friends were the ones who made my hardships more bearable. When you travel to the other side of the world, getting homesick, sad or emotional is inevitable. Your life at home continues despite your adventures abroad. I had to deal with family issues, missing family functions, and pure moments when I just needed a hug from my mom. I am eternally grateful for my corridor mates who stopped by my room with chocolate when I was missing my family, or joined me in Skyping home for my sister's first prom that I had to miss out on. And these same friends were there for other issues, too. You develop another family when you study abroad; the only bad thing is, you have to eventually give that dreaded goodbye hug.

But despite all the fun I was having, I knew June 9 was approaching, and my time would come to an end; and in a way, I was ready to go home. I don't know how to describe it, but those who have studied abroad know exactly what I'm talking about. I wasn't ready to leave Australia, but I was so ready to see my family, friends, house, and get back to my regular lifestyle. I just wish I could pick all those things up and take them back to Australia with me!

February 11, 2012 and June 9, 2012 are both two significant days I will never, ever forget, and each and every one of those 120 days in between are just as memorable. Those four months will be forever in my heart. Studying abroad is a journey everyone should take. Sure it's a resume builder, employers like to see it, and it may get you a better job one day, but most importantly, it brings you confidence, experience, fun, true friends, and memories that will last forever. So Australia, it's not goodbye but see ya later, mate! I will be back with HEAPS of places I want to see, friends I want to visit, and more memories to be made.

Cheers!

Awesome, incredible, unreal... I can keep going on and on about my time at Newcastle but every word would be a praise about my experience. I lived in off campus student housing three minutes from the beach. Whenever we could, my house mates were enjoying the sun playing soccer, surfing, or just laying around. Campus was a jungle, literally. The wild Cockatoos took a while to get used to but they just became part of going to class. Traveling to Sydney was easy and something we did often. Really can't say enough about how great Newcastle was.

Studying abroad through GlobaLinks was the best decision I have probably ever made. GlobaLinks made the process of getting ready for my semester easy and exciting. The orientation week was so much fun and made the transition to a new country seamless. If I had to make the decision to study abroad through this program again, I would make the same decision every time.

This program was the best experience of my life and the most helpful. I do not regret a moment of my time spent overseas. You are challenged all the time, finding that you can do more than you thought possible. Aboslutely apply to Australearn!

This was the best thing that ever happened to me. I lived in a great area and got to meet some of the best people. I loved being able to go to the beach every week and interact with the locals. One of the best days that I had was going out with a group of friends to the beach. On the way we stopped by our favorite Coffee shop, called 23 hundred got coffee and then spent the entire day at the beach. We hung out, swam and listened to music. One thing you have to remember you have to be open to meeting new people and enjoying your time there.